Dear Author of book on the problems of learning Early maths.

[reynardo]

Your book is misnamed.

Again and again, you state that children at certain levels should be learning about fractions. They should be learning mixed and improper fractions, and their relationship with groups and with division.

Not once do you state what difficulties children might have with fractions. You don't talk about misconceptions, about where the "sticking points" might be, or what issues have come up for you and your people with teaching fractions.

And indeed, when it comes to fractions, you do not explain how to teach them ONCE!!! Not grouping, not sharing, not even one little cut-up cake.

*sigh*

Back to the shelves...

Comments

[jesusandrew.livejournal.com]

I can loan you the textbook we used - "Teaching Primary Mathematics" (3rd edition) by Booker, Bond, Sparrow & Swan. It doesn't cover all of the practical suggestions our teacher had, but I found it helpful at the time.

[reynardo.livejournal.com]

Thanks, but the new textbook has bits of Booker in it. Literally - they made the new one by cutting up about 4 other textbooks. :-P

No, I was trying to find something more for this workshop I'm supposed to be presenting, and was very disappointed.

[starduchess.livejournal.com]

As much as I've always been a math person (even graduated uni with BS in Applied Mathematics), I found fractions really hard until I started into Algebra. I didn't understand much about the conversions between number bases, such as 2/4 converging down to 1/2 or adding 1/3 to 5/7. So I completely understand your frustration at not finding a book that helps with that.

Consequently, in algebra a lot of the numbers are replaced with symbols (X and Y etc) and multiplying bases to get a common denominator became easier to visualize and therefore grasp.

[laurielover1912.livejournal.com]

Fractions. The one aspect of maths which every child in the known universe will encounter problems with at some point in their education.

Keep it as simple as you possibly can until they are old enough to figure it out for themselves!